Self-lubricated steering knuckle joint



Oct. 2, 1951 M. A. MOSKOVITZ SELF-LUBRICATED STEERING KNUCKLE JOINT Filed July 16, 1947 //V VEN TO B MILTON A. Mos KOVITZ 5 Y. a y

A oe/vEY Patented a. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE assasza SELETLUBRICATED R G Milton A. Mos kovitz Fairfield pplication Joly lfi, 1947, Serial No. 761,352 a Qlaims. (Cl. 287--l0) Th s. ihvshtioh rel te thimn Qvemehh n joints, but more specifically to ball and socket 1. uch 4 l? Qi Any u $9 ti k u kle an h hk and e t objects theth heeh h seeh'h 3 will he el lh t eht ha t hhvel ihex' ts and ma n eat n whe i A h e ih a e satisiaq q y use my hv htie i tQ amide aha a het ihiht 9 a rlibbel' ht h ch h ld f d in p ac within the socket and to thereafter exert its force s ma n in th he l se ted in s d bu h n wi shah htle but h th ure th s h hi a eal to hr hht whe is to s we:

a s 9! he ha an so ket v a at that her the b sh:

has were P es ts-rm. ed. hh he hue heir essu e eh ai hi h h i h a a d thereb sv htihs the shhoh hi the h ad from wearing through the base of the n bled sh t with th eehs hheht di en a em n hi the parts of the u'nit'in service.

AS9 1 tether ehieet 9 m ihYehh -h, s to r the 1 1 sievh 9 t e that; h? befo e m n:

h ne a has in 9'? has and e a th s a hhte ishs at heme P 9h t9 P rmit Pa sage o 40 l P hee thereth sh h efi ehve y his ti isrhiy 92? h flier luhheeh hi h h she ee? e when with sha l he eshet'eh a eneht with a pressure-actuated plate to constantly urge said ehh e member mm s. eat in he hh' h he th ht il spree 9 the heetihe rqhh ed PIl he and hh hs'a v Q? the ball she sac t 9t hhihe hev:

Man other PJY QP EWQ aslvhhtesee 9 he QQQQ WQH Q hi 9 'i q d scr es Wil bl? b 9 4s to h s s il n th t t wh h this ve ho ephe t i t a w lh h hh eht om the disclosures herein given."

"To th'is "end; my iriigentiOnbonsists the novel s hfi h c inat 'o Par lllq h on; struction'herein shown and describecl "and as will'hemore "clearly pointed out the following p a M a v In the drawings, wherein lilge reference characters represent like "or corresponding parts throughoiitthe views;

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view, with parts broken awayand shown in elevation, showing one form of device;

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modification oi thamefand e. l Figure 3'isa perspective elevation of the resilie'n'tly' compressible element, in main and compressed shapes."

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, there is shown a'pa ir of cooperab ly connected members commonly employed in various mechanisms, as for example} as part of the steering linkage of motor vehicle construction. Obviously siich a linkage is applicable to other construction wherein movement is to be transmitted from one element to another through a universal joint connection.

One member I of such a pair of cooperating members is indicated as shown, the same having a tubular enlargement 2 at some point of its length, as at the end, to provide a socket 3 therethrough, one end 4 of said socket opening being smaller than the bore 5 at its other extremity.

The second mechanical member 6 of the pair of members is formed with an externally con'vex, rounded or ball head or end 1, whose diameter is greater than that of the opening 4 so that the member 6 must be inserted through the larger opening 5 as indicated, and when so assembled, the member 6 will not fall through the bottom opening 4.

It will be noted that the upper end or top of said ball head is preferably centrally recessed at 8 a that h cen e 9 t e WWW-re 0f oth said convex surface fl and the concave surface s is r m he s m mi t 9, 1? TP S? to e m cl l hereihaithr set erth- A u h n e ement i fixed etaine w n sa shh et nd is hr idhd it h h ev ht H c he sa e rvature hat o the, canvas settles Q? the head i t s u ly hut shdja ll 9. 1

gage with the latter and journal the same, so that although the ball member may swing and may rotate relatively of said bushing, the latter is stationary.

In order to minimize wear between said head and bushing, the latter is preferably composed of some anti-friction bearing metal that is relatively softer than the ball head, the latter being usually hardened and then burnished. One such metal that I found very satisfactory for such service, is powdered bronze, pressed into shape.

In addition to being long-wearing, such a bushing has the important characteristic of being sufiiall bearing areas and keep them well lubricated..

A pressure plate I2 is longitudinally Or axially" slidab e within said socket opening 3 and'engages' ;j

on its under face with the top of said ball head, so that any p essure downwardly on said plate will be transmitted to force said ball head into its seat in the bushing. The plate I7. is formed with a centrally positioned downwardly projecting rounded or spher cal protuberance l3 of a size and vshape to snugly seat in theconcave rece s 8. Obviously. the center of curvature of I 3 is id ntical with t e center of curvature of said round d portions 8 and 1, thereby providing a uniform rotary and swive action of the. roun ed head ele ent without actuating said pressure plate. Said ate is a so provided w th a neriohe a flan e M rad ally outwardly beyond th ball head to o itivel clearthe latter in operation. in a l pos tions of the same.

A lug e em nt 1 of some resiientlv compress b e material able to withstand lubricant is posit oned w thin the sock t 3 to act as a source of constant pre sure to hold the parts in pro er re ationshi and I have found that synthetic rubber or other rubber-like material will answer the urpose.

Th s p ug is initially of a diameter somewhat smaller than the inside of said socket into which it is to be p aced, and is thicker than the space hei ht to be occupied, the initial shape being indicated in full lines in Fig, 3, while the dotted lines represent its compressed and operative shape. After this plu has been dropped into the socket, and although it may be loose therein at the time, it may be readily compressed to expand laterally to engage the side wall of the socket, asshown. A closure plate or cover l6 may be used to close the socket above said plug, and the rim or edge of the socket member may be peened or swaged inwardly to confine said cover in place for the life of the unit.

Obviously, when said element [5 has been so mounted into place, it will exert its pressure constantly to urge the pressure plate downwardly against the ball head, to firmly seat the latter in the bushing. Also, said plug will seal the upper end of the unit against leakage of lubricant or other material therepast.

In order to properly lubricate the joint and make it self-adjusting and lubricating, an absorbent rin H, as of felt, may be mounted on the bushing, and initially saturated with oil so as to feed to the oil-porous bushing. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, saidring I! may initially engage the pressure plate, so that as'the latter is pressed downwardly, the ring will be correspondingly pressed and will be the co-acting journal surfaces of the bushing and the head element.

As wear occurs on the bushing the ball head shifts downwardly within the socket, and the pressure plate moves correspondingly downwardly, urged by pressure of the element [5, but when the felt rin has been completely flattened or compressedit-is time to replace the unit, because by that time the, bushingwill have worn so thin that the ball might drop through the lower end of the unit with continued wear at said parts. 7

To halt continued wear of said bushing at the propertime, I have provided means on the pressure plate, asfor example, the peripheral flange I4 hereinbefore mentioned. As soon as said flange engagesagainst the metal of said bushing or against the fully compressed ring ll, pres sure of the resilient plug is ineffective to actuate the pressure plate further toward the ball head element, and it is time torenew and replace the worn unit with a new one. V 1

In the modification indicated in'F 2 the parts are constructed substantially similarly to the preceding form, including the initial spacing of the flange M from the opposed top portion of the bushing, but in Fig. 2, the bushingis provided with a peripheral groove [8 to receive the felt ring permanently positioned out of contact with the pressure ring. Here" too, assoon as the pressure plate engages against the bushing itself, the pressure of the resiliently compressible plug is ineffective to cause furtherv movement of the ball member toward its'seat in said bushing,'

and replacement of the unit is indicated.

A rubber boot I9 may bepIac-edto encircle the shank of the member 6 and is shaped to firmly press against the" undersurfaceof the socket or enlargement 2, to hold said parts closed against entry of dirt orother foreign matter, without interfering with the intended universal movement between the pair of connected mem bers.

Having thus described my invention, it is ob vious that various immaterial changes and modifications'may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish tobe understood as limiting my self to the exact form, arrangement, construc tion and combination of parts herein shown and described, or the uses mentioned, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, or by the claims as hereunto appended. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

1. In a ball joint, the combination with a pair of movably interconnected members one of which has a ball end and the other of which has a socket to receive said ball, of a bushing in said socket to seat said ball, a pressure plate movable a and completely seal said socket against lubricant squeezed to exude its lubricant, which is in turn absorbed by said bushing and conducted between.

leakage therepast. v

2. In a joint of the kind described, the; combination with a pair of movably connected members for transmitting movement therebetween, one of said members having a socket and the other member having a rounded head to fit therein. a

lubricant-porous bushing in said socket to provide a seat for said head, a movable pressure plate constantly engaging said head and normally spaced from said bushing, a lubricant-carrying ring mounted on said bushing and more readily compressible than the latter, a resiliently compressible plug within said socket beyond said head to constantly exert pressure against said plate to seat said head, and stop means engageable between said bushing and pressure plate to limit pressure movement of said plate after predetermined wear of said bushing and movably compressing said lubricating ring.

3. In a joint of the kind described, the combination with a pair of relatively movably connected members one of which has a rounded head and the other of which has a socket to receive said head, of an oil-absorbent anti-friction bushing to seat said head, a pressure plate within said socket to engage less of said head than is engaged by said bushing, a resilient rubber-like plug compressed within said socket to seal against leakage therepast and exert constant pressure uniformly on said plate, a lubricant-retaining ring engaging said bushing and more readily compressible than the latter, and means to stop further pressure of said plate against said bushing after a predetermined wear of the latter.

4. In a ball and socket joint, a member having a rounded head, a, second member having a socket to receive said head therethrough, a bushing within said socket to seat said head, a pressure plate slidable in said socket and having appreciable transverse play therebetween and constantly engaging said head, a resiliently compressible element in said socket and spaced from said head to exert pressure against said plate toward said head and seal against leakage past said plate, and an oil-saturated ring engaging said bushing and compressibly engageable by said plate as the latter is pressed toward said head. MILTON A. MOSKOVITZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,274 Starrett July 14, 1908 1,881,601 Hufierd t al. Oct. 11, 1932 1,957,781 Hufferd May 8, 1934 2,115,087 Schaefer Apr. 26, 1938 2,291,161 Katcher July 28, 1942 2,292,676 Thiry Aug. 11, 1942 2,442,601 House et a1. June 1, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 661,986 Germanv or 1938 

